Archive for the ‘YouTube Vault’ Category

*Note:* My intent was to post this yesterday, but I wrote the post from a computer that was not my own, and since the video I wanted to embed was from the NY Times site, I needed VodPod to do so. I decided to wait until I got home, but then the internet (and cable–2 for 2 Time Warner) was down. So, you’ll have to follow the link for now; I’ll embed the video when the possibility presents itself.

I saw a piece on TV about how Rik Smits now races some form of Motocross these days (read article about it here), and it made me think: I wonder what other NBA players like to do as hobbies in their free time?

Now, Rik Smits didn’t ride motorcycles during his career (due to a contract clause, if my memory of the show serves me correctly), so he couldn’t have partaken in Motocross as an off-season training tool, but many players have found alternatives. Steve Nash, for example, rides his skateboard and dribbles his basketball all over lower Manhattan from what I hear.

But Steve Nash is a star, so doing something as mainstream as skateboarding is only fitting. What would a lesser known player do?

So I’ve got a little input about the cornily dubbed Redeem Team’s performance versus Canada that took place last night, but until I’ve got time to properly evaluate the situation, enjoy two YouTube clips to tide you over.

The first is a video I saw on Dime Mag’s website, quietly one of my favorite basketball websites. If you don’t know about Ricky Rubio yet, a) you’ve been hiding, but b) you will once the Olympics start. Kid’s only 17.

The second is a metaphor for how Canada’s Carl English felt last night when Kobe stole his cookies, milk, snack pack, soft lunch box with the blue ice pack inside and shoulder strap, AND his membership from whatever hair salon he goes to before coasting in for an unimpressive dunk. Found at a site called FAIL blog (nod to my roomie Andy who is under the knife to repair his shattered wrist as we speak).

I read so many sports blogs and surf through enough other random sites that I have decided it is finally time for me to start my own version of “links.” Seemingly every blogger has their own take on this, with their own witty name to boot, so who am I to break tradition?

The Atlanta Hawks ended a playoff drought dating back to 1999 last week, earning them the right to be crushed by Boston Celtics in the first round.

Everywhere, Boston fans rejoiced. They then took a nap.

Game 1 provided little drama as the C’s easily took care of business against the “Oh, I forgot we actually have to play the games now” Hawks.

So, in light of little to post about the actual game, here is video of a much more interesting Celtics event. If you missed it, this is the ESPN SportsCenter Sunday Conversation with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG. And the second is Kevin Garnett’s post-game press conference after the Game 1 victory last night. The thing to keep in mind during both of these that Kevin Garnett is insane, and I love him for it.

Bonus points for anyone who finds me that picture of KG in his undersized jean jacket.

This dunk looks great in pictures. Then again, MySpace taught us to know better. (picture from NBA.com)

Cute is for elementary school crushes, puppy dogs on cards, and babies making funny faces at you in grocery store check-out lines.

Cute is not for dunk-contests. At least not NBA ones.

Perhaps I should have seen this coming. With the ever-diminishing age of the players in the league, and with the “rule” of only allowing players in their first three years in the league to participate, it should have been obvious that there would be a fair share of corniness.

Forgive my lack of posting for the last couple of days, I seem to have come down with some sort of “your stomach hates food” bug. Enjoyable.

A lot happened in sports last night, but I can’t bring myself to write about any of it. With the entire world seemingly plugged into sports news updates 24/7 I try my best to refrain from any recaps—surely I am bringing little new information to the subject by the time you are reading my post. So let those paid to talk loudly about sports argue the blown calls at the end of the Tennessee/Rutgers and Villanova/Georgetown game, or worry over Stan Van Gundy calling out Dwight Howard after their loss to the Cavs. I am above it.

Instead, I found two infinitely more interesting YouTube clips to share. The first is something I immediately searched for after seeing today’s SportsCenter Top 10 Highlights. The highlight was a recap of Nimitz High’s Brittney Griner dominating some local competition in her game. If I remember correctly, she was an assist away from a quadruple-double. As impressive as that is, what is even more impressive is the moment in the highlight when she got the ball in the post, spun middle, and dunked with ease. Granted, she’s 6’8″, but a high school girl! With ease! So I investigated a little. Here’s what I found.

The second clip comes to commaPause via Bill Simmons’ latest edition of “The Links.” There, one of Bill’s readers e-mails the Sports Guy with a link to this highlight of Shaquille O’Neal’s (LA Lakers edition) version of the “Cheers” theme song, just another reason why I wish I could be the last guy on the bench for an NBA team.

Before I get to my selections for the Three-Point Shootout (and I promise this is the last one, there will be no Shooting Stars or Skills Competition picking), I just wanted to share this link with you. It takes you to NBA.com’s homepage for the dunk contest, and at the bottom you can see the Top 10 dunks of each contestant’s career. I’m always one for dunk mixtapes, just thought you might enjoy it too.

Now for the choosing. In an effort to reduce monotony from my shoot-out contestant rationale (“he shoots good from deep”), I have decided to switch up the format a little bit. Instead of a paragraph on I have chosen each player, there is simply a YouTube clip. Agree or disagree, but the clips I selected were enough for me to deem the contestants worthy.